Skills

PICAXE 40X2 Microcontroller (40 pin)

Description: The PICAXE X2 microcontrollers are the second generation of PICAXE chips; providing more features and greater flexibility. With the PICAXE 40x2, you get four times the memory and a number of additional input and output pins, when compared to the 40x1.

PICAXE is a neat entry-level microcontroller system that is relatively cheap to get started with. The chip is programmed with a simple serial connection and the BASIC development environment is free! PICAXE has some excellent educational applications and support, and is a great entryway into more complicated embedded systems. If you’re look for a place to start with microcontrollers, PICAXE is a great way to go!

I have been trying to figure out if it’s being superseded by a new version or if Sparkfun just didn’t see the demand for them. So far it just seems like Sparkfun just didn’t see the demand for them which is definitely a bummer. I had just used the 40x2 for the first time to address and read data from gameboy carts. It made it so insanely easy with it being in basic and all the simple ways to manipulate bytes and bits. It’s just a great universal chip that’s easy to use.

Yes this is the PICAXE 40X2 which is the Microchip PIC18F45K22 with PICaxe bootloader.

This version is the Universal Voltage Range (2.1V - 5.5V) operating range.

Internal frequency is set to 8 MHz (default), can be set to 16 MHz max via setfreq command.

External frequency can be set to 64 MHz (MAX) via crystal and capacitors on pins 13 & 14 labelled ‘Resonator’.

There are two ‘V+’ pins. Do they both get connected to Vcc? If so does Vcc need to be divided into the two pins, or is only one required? E.g: 5V divided to 2.5V for pins 11 & 32 or 5V in either pin 11 or 32.

The same question with respect to ground (0V) on pins 12 & 31.

When using X/X1 code it is possible to convert via Wizard in linAXEpad/Programming Editor. However, there appears no mention if X2 code can be backwards compatible on X/X1 chips. Is X2 code auto-corrected for X/X1 chips?

A 16MHz res will not get this thing running 64MHz; you have to buy an external 64MHz crystal and add the load caps. I run a PIC18F45K20 with the above, 33pf load caps to be exact, and I run around 63MHz on my scope.

Customer Reviews

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